Through the pre-competitive, collaborative OIA Sustainability Working Group (SWG), the outdoor industry is tackling global supply chain sustainability and resiliency challenges that no one company can solve alone. However, solving some of these massive, often nebulous issues will require us to take our multi-stakeholder collaboration efforts to the next level, specifically pursuing interconnectivity not only among supply chain partners, but also among innovators, investors, researchers/academia, and other stakeholders who will be critical partners in helping solve the industry’s collective challenges. OIA’s vision for the Sustainability Convergence events is to provide a space for learning and connection around big issues the industry is facing, in an effort to facilitate connections that will drive innovation addressing key shared challenges and reducing the industry’s impacts.

Tell me about the first OIA Sustainability Convergence event!
There is a growing demand for chemicals, materials, and ultimately, products that are safer for people and the natural world. This movement goes by many names:Green, Safer, or Sustainable Chemistry, Biomimicry, Circular Economy, and Cradle to Cradle design; despite the various terms, the approaches are rooted in a common vision: the desire to provide consumers with products that are safe, that meet their performance requirements, and that are made with the lowest possible impacts.

Bringing innovation to market to solve key industry challenges will require a diversity of approaches, as well as significant investment and support to drive promising concepts to commercialization. With the outdoor industry in mind, this session is designed to provide:

An overview of the landscape of current needs and barriers to advancing innovative solutions in the area of outdoor industry-specific materials and chemistries

A look at some key concepts for successful advancement of innovation in this space

What is the purpose of this workshop, and what’s in it for OIA Sustainability Working Group brands, retailers, and suppliers? We’ll start with high-level framing and context to ground attendees in this session, including discussion of OIA’s vision of success.

2:45-3:30p – Panel: Innovative Solution Development + Deployment

Speakers:

Karla Mora, Alante Capital

Milos Ribic, Adidas/Hydra Ventures

Una Murphy, Levi Strauss & Co.

Moderator: Beth Jensen, OIA

How are new material and chemistry solutions advanced and adopted? This session will dig into shared industry challenges and barriers, potential solutions, and key lessons from the field – a view of the strategic opportunities for adoption of safer chemistry and materials innovations within the outdoor industry.

Bridging the gap between brands, manufacturers/suppliers, investors, startups, academia/researchers, and NGO’s, all are encouraged to connect in this open networking session to explore featured startups and their latest ideas aimed at key innovation gaps within the outdoor industry, and to discuss ways to address the current barriers to advancing sustainability innovation in the outdoor industry.